Art and Architecture

I had a (well-deserved!) day off yesterday and with the kids in school, Dan and I decided to take one of my favorite drives: the drive to Nowhere-in-Particular.

Yesterday, Nowhere-in-Particular turned out to be Ashtabula, Ohio.

We've driven through Ashtabula before, but never drove down to the harbor and explored at all, so yesterday, we took an hour or so to wander. We saw some really neat architecture and it looked like they'd put a lot of time into restoring that area of the downtown.

This was definitely my favorite building. There was a ton of detail to admire...both above...

and below.

It's Spiketastic!

It's been awhile since I featured Spikey on the blog. These pics are from the summer and illustrate one of his cutest little quirks.

Spike is a Jack Russell and he's full of energy...most of the time.But when he gets tired, he gets tired and he needs to stretch out!
I love how he stretches his legs out behind him; my little frog-dog!

On the Wrong Track

I am definitely on the wrong track lately.

I haven't taken a picture since August 31st. (These are from a 12th Street shoot on 8/14.)
The problem is, I've been slammed at work lately. There's an emergency need for people, which means two training classes a day. I've been going in around 7 and getting home around 5:30. I have absolutely no energy for anything, much less tromping around taking pictures.
I miss it a lot, though. I definitely plan to force myself to get out this week and shoot something.After all, there's a lot to be seen out there.

The Last Bees of Summer?

It's starting to get colder here...it was around 55 when I got up this morning! These bees I shot a couple of weeks back may be the last ones I see this year. (Or not...they come out on warm fall days too, and there's always the transparent beehive at Asbury Woods.)

It's impossible to tell in these pics because there's no frame of reference, but I swear these were the largest bees I've ever seen in my life. They had to be at least 3 inches long...I snapped these quick shots and then stepped away.

American Gothic

This is St. Peter Cathedral in Erie. I'm no longer a practicing Catholic, but I can still enjoy this as a beautiful piece of Gothic Revival architecture.Yeah, yeah, I know the POTD theme this week is vehicles and architecture is next week....sue me!

The Best-Laid Plans

We tried to go camping this weekend.

The pictures you see here are representative of what we should have been able to see and do.

Instead, we were stuck in a small cabin for most of the time, watching the rain and smelling like wet dog.
Oh, and not that there was anything going on worth taking pictures of, but I forgot my camera! Grr!

As they say, you win some, you lose some. It just stinks to lose when it's been a crazy week and you really needed the break. Hopefully next time will be better!

On the Rocks

One of my favorite things about Wintergreen Gorge is the rock formations. I love the layers of sedimentary rock and I like to imagine the whole area under some vast ocean, millions of years ago.

And I also like the things you can find on and around the rocks, like this emerald green beetle.



Makes me wonder what else might be under there.

Flashback: Wintergreen Gorge

These pictures are from July, but they fit this week's POTD theme on shutter speed. I shot these with a slower shutter speed to try to capture the flow of the water.

And Liam wouldn't be a boy if he didn't throw a couple of rocks.

What Mama Needs

This is what Mama needs...

Unfortunately, what Mama needs and what Mama gets are two different things! Work is crazy-busy this week, and things are not that much calmer at home. Back-to-school time is nutty as usual and there just aren't enough hours in the day right now! I apologize for not giving attention to the other POTD blogs I read...I promise to catch up soon!

No Rest for the Weary

We headed out yesterday for one last summer blast at Waldameer.

(So did what seemed like 10,000 other people, but when they have "Buy one, get one for $2" combo passes, you'll have that.) Anyway, we enjoyed ourselves despite the crowds and much-longer-than-usual lines. Below you see what we'd look like if we were the stars of "Little People, Big World."
Poor Liam is just about to outgrow his favorite children's ride; you can already see that he basically takes up both seats. I doubt he'll be able to go on this next year.

I don't know if it was the sun, or the general tiredness I was feeling, or what, but I just didn't feel like taking pictures yesterday. I'm almost ashamed to say I took only 15 shots and I put the camera back in the trunk of the car about an hour into our visit. I just didn't feel like lugging it around with me. And today, I hope you'll enjoy your Labor Day. I, for one, will actually be laboring. I have to work 3-11 pm, but at least it's double time so I shouldn't complain.
Have a great day, everyone!